Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-03-12
WILD WORK OF COWBOYS.
The Perils of n Stampede of Cattle in
Thunderstorm at Night.

The Perils of n Stampede of Cattle in Q
Thunderstorm at Night.
The great herds which are yearly
driven out of Texas to the northern
ranges usually embrace from $500 to
5000 each, and the movement has since
its beginning, about eighteen years ago,
amounted to about I, 200, 600 head, worth
aearly $50, 100000, says Joseph MIN.
mo, Jr., in Harper'S Magazine. Each
herd is placed in charge of boss, with
from eight to ten cowboys, for the duty
is an arduous one. The range cattle
when away from their accustomed
haunts are suspicious and1excitable, and
need to be managed with the greatest
care to keep them from stampeding.
When "on trail" they are "close- herded"
at nightfall, and all lie down within
4 space Of about two acres. The cow
boys then, by watches, ride around
all night long. The sensible presence
Of man appears to give the animals a
feeling OF security.
The journey from Southern Texas to
Montana requires from four to six
months. Herds are also driven from
Oregon and Washington Territory to
Wyoming and Eastern Montana. 1t is
impossible for one who has not had
actual experience in riding in trail" to
imagine the difficulties involved in
driving large herd of wild cattle over
mountain ranges, across desert lands,
where in some cases food and water
are not found for many miles, and
where streams must be crossed which
are liable to dangerous freshets.
A large part of the northern ranges
is embraced in the area which Silas
Bent, an accomplished meteorological,
terms "the birthplace of the tornado"
Thunder and lightning are here fire.
quent, and they are especially terrify-
ing to range cattle. The most thrill
ing incident in the life of the cowboy
occurs on the occasion of a thunder
storm at night. Such an occurrence is
thus described from personal observa-
ton by William A. Baillie Grohman,
an English writer:
"On the approach of one of these
violent outbursts the whole force is or
1ered on duty; the spare horses-of
which each man has always three, and
often as many as eight or ten-are care
fully fed and tethered, and the herd is
rounded up that is, collected into as
small a space as possible, while the
men continue to ride round the dense
ly massed herd. Like horses, cattle
derive courage from the close prox-
unity of man. The thunder peals and
the vivid lightning flashes with amaz-
ing brilliancy, as with lowered heads
the herd eagerly watches the slow,
steady pace of the cow-ponies, and no
doubt derives from it Il comforting
sense of protection. Sometimes, how
ever, wild steer will be unable to con-
troll his terror, and will make IA dash
through a convenient opening. The
crisis is at hand, for the example will
surely be followed, and in two minutes
the whole herd of A, 900 head will have
broken through the line of horsemen
and be away-one surging, bel"
lowing mass of terrified beasts.
Fancy a pitch-dark night, a pouring
torrent of rain, the ground not only
entirely strange to the men, but very
hollows, and you will have picture OF
cowboy duty on such a night. They
must head OIL the leaders. Once fairly
off, they will stampede twenty, thirty,
and even forty miles at stretch, and
many branches will stray from the
main herd. Not a'one the reckless
rider, rushing headlong at break-neck
pace over dangerous ground in dense
darkness, but also the horses, small,
insignificant beasts, but matchless for
hardy endurance and willingness, and
perfectly aware how much depends up
on their speed that night, if it kills
them. Unused TIL the last moment
remains the heavy cowhide 'yuirt, or
whip, and the powerful spurs with row.
els the size of fiye-shilling pieces.
Urged on by shout, the horses speed
alongside the terrified steers until they
manage to reach the leaders, when,
swinging around and fearless of horns,
they press back the believing brutes
till they turn them. All the men pur-
suing this maneuver, the head ong rush
is at last che ,ked, and the leaders,
painting and flashing their sides with
their tails, are brought to a stand, and
the who'e herd is again rounded up"